Needle and its method of use



Dec; s 1925.

Filed sept. .25, 1925 F. C. STEPHENS game?.

Patented Dee. i925.'

sitas `FRANK C. STEPHENS, OF WASHINGTON. DISTRTCT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR, BY

JIESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE STELOS COMPANY, INC., A CORPORATION OF DELA- p WARE.

Application filedv vSeptember 25, 1923. Serial No. 664,720.

T0 all 'whom it may] concern.'

Re it known that T, FRANK C. STEPHENS, a citizen of the United States, residing' at lll/vashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Needles and Their Methods of Use, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an, improvement .in needles and its method of use.

In repairing the runs or .ravels in knitted goods, other needles have been used, but they.

are not practical, as the method of use is a tedious one, and trying both to the eyes and patience of the operator. In other methods, the fabric is stretched over the linger tip, making it diiicult to` insert the hook beneath the thread. This objection is obviated in the present invention by stretching the fabric over a porcelain dish, allowing suliicient depth forthe free use of the needle.

lVith other needles and their methods of use, the stretching` of the fabric over the finger tip makes itdifhcult to see theseparate threads, while with my invention and its method of use a white background is pro vided, making it possible to see the threads of any fabric, and of any color. It is impractical to use other needles with my method.

lVith other needles used for a similar purpose, the latch or bridge must be forced open by pressing' againstthe thread or fabric and, in operation, can b-e opened in no other way. This has a tendency to catch the hook in the fabric or thread, and interfere with the work.v The present invention overcomes this objection by reason of its peculiar oonstruetion. This, together withits magneti Zed area compels the latch to fly open at the proper time and greatly simplifies the work. lVith other needles and their method of use, one thread holds the ,latch or bridge V closed over the hook, and the thread toV be looped must be forced into .the hook while latch is so closed. This is very unsatisfad tory and unless great care is used in the operation, the thread holding' the latch closed will slip off of the needle and allow the work to unravel. lith my invention and its method of use, the latch reaches for NEEDLE Ann I'rs METHOD 0E UsE.

purpose-two forward and two back.

and grasps the thread to be looped, forces it. into the hook and the latch is then tightly closed by the loop already on the needle.

Other 'needles and tleir method of use requirelfour separate motions to complete one My invention and its method of use requires but one forward and one backward motion to accomplish the same purpose, thereby not only simplifying the work, but saving onehalf the time and labor required by other methods. l

lVith other needles and their method of use it is necessary to insert the hook into the lirst loop'of the fabric' to be repaired. This also applies where the partially repaired work hasbeen slipped from the needle. Vith my invention and its method of use the hook can be inserted at any pointback of the running loop and the fabric run back to the loop that has been picked up. This makesit unnecessary to'piek up a certain loop as must be done' with other needles.

With other needles and their method of use care mustbe used to see that each sepa rate thread is picked up by the hook. This places a strain on the eyes. `With my needle andits method of use this is not necessary as' it is possible to pick up the threads faster than the eye can see the operation and therefore places no strain on the eyes.

My invention, owing toits construction, is suitable for doing` various kinds of fancy work or stitches, when used by my method. Otherv needles are impractical for this class of work as there is no way by which they can .be kept from becoming entangled in,the I threads or fabric.

With other needles and their method of use in case ferror necessitating' going back to a` certain point, it is impossible to drop stitches from the needle without releasing it entirely from the work and picking' it up again. Vith myneedle and its method of use it is a verv easy mattei' to drop from the hook one stitch at a time and ,ajo ahead again without delay.

Thus l lhave devised a simple hand erated needle of the character' indicated, which may be utilized to do 'not only the work that similar needles can do. but various Reissue) stitches and other work that other needles fare not adapted to do. Not only this "for whereas my needle will do the work that any other similar needle will do no other needle will do the work that'my needle will.

The needle itself consists of a magnetized hook at one end, curved laterally to a desired degree, oli' center; a niagnetized latch or bridge pivoted in proximity to the hook and in position to open and close the latter with the operation of the needle said latch or bridge being curved laterally toa degree to cause it to project slightly to one side'of the hook when in closed position; the end of the needle opposite the hook terminating in a handle by means of which the needle is manipulated, the needle being notched or relcessed at a point opposite the end of the latch or bridge when the latter' is open, and a bevel-ed side guard attached at the handle cnd to the right hand side of the needle and terminating, at its free end, near the hook. The hook and latch are magnetized whenv the ends of said hook and latch are brought together, they repel each other.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig'. l is a side elevationof the needle;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same;

Fig'. 3 isa view at right angles to Fig. 2 and showing the side guard;

Figs. 4, 5 and G are views of the fabric As the loop a is sliding toward the free end and showing the different stitches in "the method of hand knitting or repair.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the hook and latch, showing the latch in its closed position.

The numerall 1 represents the magnetized,

. curved hook at one end of the needle 2, and

8 is the handle. 4f is a magnetized, ycurved latch or bridge in proximity to the hook and in position to close the latter during a por-l tion of the operation of knitting and repair. It also serves the hitherto unknown purpose of reaching for and grasping andl forcing into the hook the thread necessary to lbe picked up in order to continue the looping process. A notch or recess, 5, is formed in the needle, opposite the free end of the latch or bridge, when the latter is wide open, as=

viewed in Fig'. l. the purpose of which is to reduce the thickness at this particular point with the needle adapted more nearly to the 'thickness of thread or yarn and the size of loop and more particularly for the purpose of reducing the `required movement of the needle in the operation to an extent cor responding to the depth of the notch or recess. I i l A beveled side guard 6 is placed along the right-hand' side of the needle so that as thel needle is pushed forward through the formed loop the latter slides back from the hookbetween the shank of the needle Vand theguard 6 and this relation insures that on the backward stroke the loop will force the latch forward to hold the next thread in the hook so that.`

necesa/a whereas-any 'other thread will slide over the guard and'will not operate to close the latch Onfthe rearward stroke the guard 6 also prevents the hook from catching the side of the fabric.

The present invention is wonderfully well adapted l'to .the repair of runs in silk stockings, although it applies as well to breaks in the stitches of sweaters and other knitted or crocheted fabrics. stocking can be easily and quickly repaired hand and restored to its original vcondition at slighty expense. y to operate the needle is easily7 acquired with .fr little practice.

While different stitches may be made by means of this needle, by way of illustration, one only has been shown in the several figures of the drawings from Figs. i to 6 inclusive, and in this particular stitch the method of, operation is substantially as follows:

Referring to Figs. 4 an exaggerated view of a run infabric Such as-a sweater or a stocking is shown. The v,

operatorat first inserts the magnetized hook l through the last loop a of the rave! or run' of the latch or bridge it spreads the free end of the side guard from the needle, and on the forward stroke this guard spreads the threads and facilitates the stroke.` The needle is then pulled back in the reverse direction, the loop latch or bridge and swinging it against the hook as clearly shown in Fig. 5, and the latch in the meantime reaching for and grasping the thread and forcing it into the magnetized hook as shown in said Fig. 5. If by any chance the hookshould grasp more vthan one thread, the loop a, will force the latch to one side of the hook and allow the loop a to also slide into the hook, vthus blocking the operation andin this way, preventing errors in the repair work. This is caused by the degree/ of curvature lof both hook and latch. The operator now continues to pull thel thread 5 which is held tight by thehclosing of the latch lor bridge 4, against the hook, vuntil a loop c is formed in the thread b and it is drawn through the loop a as clearly illustrated in Fig. 6. In the meantime, they guard as a result of its position and shape shields the latch point and prevents the; thread b from catching behind the latch and closing it prematurely, and thus permitting the loop a to slip entirely off the hook without forming the new loop o. The hook and latch, being magnetized are likel poles and repel each other when brought tog/ether, thus when the loop c is dra-wn throughthe loop fr, as shown in By its use a to 6 of the drawings,

a sliding back against 'the The skill requii ed Fig. 6, the magnetized latch 4 bong repelled by the magnetized hook 1 will fly back into j the position shown in Fig. 4.

Cil

I verse its action when the loop a slips off of it and facilitates its motion backward and away frointhe hook, the object of Which being to fully open the latch before the commencement of the next forward stroke, thereby making more rapid `Work possible by prev 'a magnetir/.ed latch or bridge plvoted 1n venting the latch from cat-ching in the i threads or fabric `on the forward`stroke.

The operator no1 lifts the needle carrying the loop c up overl and around loop gz, pushing the needle forward as in Fig; 4 through the loop c, andhook lv is inserted beneath the next succeeding thread d. After the loop c shall have slid over the end of the latch or bridge and beyond it, the needle is reversed or pulled back, .during which motion. theflatch reaches lfor and grasps the thread d, forces it into the hook, just as it has previously done` With the thread b as shown in' Figs. 5 and 6, and as thread cl is pulled back the loop is formed in it, the

guard, in this operation, performing its i of 1stitches with the back of the needle.

function as heretofore described. v Thus the operation is repeated until the run or ravel is repaired, after which the end is held down by a thread or stitch. l i

The clearance afforded by the notch or recess 5 makes it'possible to hold the needle down closer .to the fabric, and greatly reduces the thickness of the combined needle and latch as Well illustrated in Fig. l, which is very desirable during the operation of knitting and repairing, as it lessens the pull -and tension upon the threads and the loop.

In thisWay the fabric is easily vand quickly repaired by hand, by the skillful manipulation of the hand needle. The loop may. be fastened by a thread or stitch or other means, which will prevent the entire 'refaire stitch froin'raveling out. lVhen the fa. ric has been repaired, the structure of the stocking can be evened up by spreading the chains` The guard (i in this' operation prevents the needle from penetrating the fabric.

claim:

l. A needle having a hook and a sideguard extending in proximity to said hook.

Q. A needle having a hook and a sideguard adj acent and extending along side the hook.

3. .-51 needle ineludingineans for receiving a. thread, a latch co-operat'ing therewith to confine the thread and 'adapted'to be closed by a looped thread, and ineens for guarding the latch in its open position to prevent the closing thereof by any VAotheifthlead except the looped thread. p, Y

fnl-t A needle forrepairlng runs including a:

hook, a latch adapted to be closed by a looped thread, and a. side-guard adjacent the free end of the latch when open 'for guarding the latch. in its open position to permit the closing thereof by the looped thread and to prevent the closing thereof by any other thread.

5. A needlehaving an eye for receiving the thread, and a movable magnet-ized latch for closing said eye andv retaining the thread therein.

6. A'needle having a magnetized hook and oted in proximitv thereto, the free'ends-of the hook and latch, both 'extending laterally to a plane extending longitudinally through v the device.

9. A device of the character described, having a magnetized hook at one end 'and af magnetized latch pivoted in proximity thereto, the free ends of the hook and latch, both extending laterally to a pla/ne extending longitudinally through the device 10. A. device of` the character described, having a hook at one end, and a latch pivoted in proximity thereto, the free ends of the hook and latch both extending laterally,- in opposite directions, to a plane extending longitudinally through the device. A

11. A device of the character described, having a magnetized hook at one end, and a inagnetized latch pivoted in proximity thereto, the free ends of the hook and latch both extending' laterally, in opposite directions, to a plane extending longitudinally through the device.

l2. 'A needle having a magnetizcd hook at one end, a inagnetized latch or bridge piv-I oted in proximity to the hook and in position to open and close the latter with4 the operation of the needle, the needle being notched or recessed at a point opposite the end of the latch or bridge when the latter is open.

13. A needle having a magnetizcd hook at. one end, curved laterally to a desired degree oli center, a magnetized latch or bridge pivoted in proximity to the hook and in position to open and close the latter With the operation of the needle, said latch or bridge being curved laterally to a degree tocause it to project slightly to one side of hook When in closed position, the needle being notched or recessed at a point opposite the lSO to open and close the latter with the operation of the needle. the needle being notched or recessed at a point opposite the end of the latch or bridge when the latter is open,`

aud a beveled side guard attached at the handle end to one side of the needle and terminating at its tree end near the hook.

15. An improved inethodfot` repairing runs or ravelings in a fabric.l which consists in stretching the fabric over a suitable holder, inserting a repairing device having a hook and pivoted lateh through a loop formed in the run orraveling, continuing this movement on through the fabric While holding the device tlaterally out of aligninent with the run or raveling until the loop has Slidell-acl; over 'the cud of the latch and beneath the latter, then reversing the Inoveinent of the device through the loop, catching the next forward thread in the hook While the loop is being pulled over the latch causing the latch to close over the thread.

' and the loop to be cast oll over the end of the device, the thread caught in the hook thereupon forming a new loop, taking the place of the tiret-described loop, then reinserting the device into the fabric as before. and repeating the operation until the run or raveling has been repaired, and finally fastening the thread.

In testimony whereof atiix my signature.

. FRANK C. STEPHENS. 

